The Houston Texans are on the clock: On April 29 the worst team in pro football will have the first pick in the NFL draft. The choice, as everyone knows, is between Vince Young, the best college quarterback ever, and Reggie Bush, the Heisman trophy winner. Either way, the Texans can’t go wrong—or can they? As talented as Young and Bush are, questions abound about both. Will Young’s propensity to scramble expose him to serious injury? Does his sidearm passing style risk tipped balls and interceptions? Not to mention his test-taking. As for Bush: Can he be an every-down player, something he wasn’t at USC? And he wasn’t even on the field for that unsuccessful fourth-down gamble in the Rose Bowl. If the Texans were a good team needing only a great leader at quarterback or a sensational running back, then they should draft one of the big names. But the Texans are a terrible team, and quarterback (David Carr) and running back (Domanick Davis) are among their few strengths. So the answer to “Vince or Reggie” is neither—as the Texans may have figured out by the time you read this. Trade the top draft pick for multiple lower-round picks. Use the extra picks to fix the woeful offensive line. By not having to pay the top draft choice, the Texans save as much as $50 million, which can be spent on new draftees and free agents. It’s neither a glamorous nor a popular strategy, but it’s a winning one.
